This invention relates to dimming an output of a light fixture. Some incandescent light sources can be damaged by large inrush currents when switching from an “OFF” state to a full “ON” state. To remedy this danger for such incandescent light sources, a preheat function or technique is used to maintain the incandescent light source in the “ON” state (e.g., the light source being driven at an arbitrarily low value, such as 5%). The preheat technique keeps the light source from cooling to a point where a large inrush current may be damaging. Additionally, by maintaining the incandescent light source in a continuous “ON” state, the light source is able to react more quickly to changes in input power. The preheat technique is accomplished using, for example, a triode for alternating current (“TRIAC”) or a silicon-controlled rectifier (“SCR”).